One of Hip-Hop’s true mainstays over the last 25 years has been Dres. Since his days building with Kool DJ Red Alert and former Black Sheep to his latest songs about marriage and flexing Bars In The Booth alongside DJ Premier, the Queens, New York-born MC has been a strong, versatile voice in the culture.

Appearing on Peter Rosenberg and Cipha Sounds’ Juan Epstein Podcast, Dres not only told his story, he spoke about some pressing issues in the culture.

Dres weighed in on Peter Rosenberg’s conflict and debates with Chuck D (16:30), with the DJ/HOT 97 personality making some of his own admissions, in addition to stating his reasons for a current moratorium on attending “Old School Hip-Hop shows.” Dres, who spoke with Chuck, slightly mediates the issue, with some bluntness and perspective. That conversation bleeds into HOT 97’s relationship with Hip-Hop founder/pioneer DJ Kool Herc (18:00). Rosenberg alludes to an “odd relationship,” but says that the Godfather is in the building regularly, while Dres says that Herc deserves a platform on “the place where Hip-Hop lives.” That discussion lends itself to Dres urging Hip-Hop to beware of Ageism (20:00). Looking at the conversations of today’s fans, Dres admits that he feels marginalized, despite making the best music of his career.

As the podcast progresses, Dres explains his breakout appearance on De La Soul Is Dead, and his working with the Long Island trio today (30:00). That discussion, for Heads who don’t know, goes into the Black Sheep story (34:00), and some little known facts about the Native Tongues, Dres angrily turning down a Def Jam Records offer from Lyor Cohen (45:00), and helping provide seed money to Chris Lighty’s Violator Management.

This is candid, entertaining, and seemingly quite real by Hip-Hop interview standards:

Related: Black Sheep Dres Releases a Song for His Bride on Their Wedding Day (Audio)